


Earth and Heaven to You

by margaerystark, rebeccavis



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-02-23 19:43:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13197225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/margaerystark/pseuds/margaerystark, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebeccavis/pseuds/rebeccavis
Summary: In a Westeros where Robert's Rebellion failed, Margaery Tyrell is sent by King Rhaegar to earn the trust of a young man previously not known to exist. Loosely inspired by Disney'sHercules.





	1. Stone

The only direction Margaery Tyrell could look in was directly up. The large basket that surrounded her had tall sides, and she sat amongst fruits and vegetables and loaves of bread and barrels of beer which mostly obscured her view of what was around her. All she could see was the foundations of the Eyrie, slowly getting closer until she could distinguish the cellar doors that she would arrive through. She thought of all she had read about this place and the stories she had heard of the sky cells and the Moon Door. Whether it had been their intention or not, the Lords of the Vale appeared to have constructed their castle in such a way as to isolate themselves as much as possible, watching over their land while they loomed above - _As High as Honor_. Heights did not usually bother her, but she had looked at the Eyrie from below and it had been quite unlike anything she had experienced before. Perhaps it was just as well that she wasn’t able to look down.

The Eyrie and the Vale had been nothing but stories she had heard in passing for the longest time. It was not a place that was discussed at court - much like the North, it was viewed as no more than a far-off land where traitors to the crown had retreated to hide their shame from their attempt at a rebellion all those years ago. Margaery had never given it much thought, and certainly never imagined that she would be on her way to live there one day. She remembered clearly the day when everything had changed; when the king had summoned her by name and presented to her the possibility of altering her family’s future.

"Lord Baelish has been watching the Vale for us. He has Lady Arryn's trust... and she told him the most remarkable thing."

"What's that, your grace?" she queried, playing along. There was a smile dancing at the corners of his lips; he seemed all too happy to share his story with her.

"Lord and Lady Arryn have been fostering a young man at the Eyrie that none of us knew about - Robb Stark... Though he's taken on a bastard surname 'Stone' since, well, since his birth, I assume. Here we were all under the impression that Lady Sansa was Lord Eddard's oldest child and that Lord Bran would be the heir to Winterfell someday, but it seems they've been hiding a secret."

"Why would they do such a thing, your grace?" she asked, raising her eyebrows, hoping her bafflement seemed convincing. She was certain she knew why Eddard and Catelyn would keep their heir a secret. He'd be perceived as a threat - maybe even a viable one if the Starks hid him away. Perhaps they were planning another rebellion and were training Robb to be their champion. Perhaps the king had been visiting the soothsayers again and received word that a boy in the North endangered his reign. _The king did love his prophecies._

"Your guess is as good as mine, my lady," Rhaegar replied, his demeanor shifting slightly, "That is why I have recruited your help. Lord Baelish suggested you for your family's undying loyalty to the crown and the ways in which you've been educated.

"Earn Robb Stark's trust, find out what they've been teaching him, and bring him back here where I can marry him off to one of my own - someone I can trust. Do this for me, and I will marry you to my Daeron."

 _Daeron._ He was the eldest of Queen Lyanna and King Rhaegar's children, born near the end of the war. She had caught a glimpse or two of him while she stayed at court during those few days; he seemed somber and serious, but he was a prince and stood to inherit a great deal of power, second only to his elder brother Aegon. It was a match she could not refuse.

And so here she was, crouching low in a wooden basket so as not to be windswept upon her arrival, waiting to be hoisted up six hundred feet through the air to her destination. It was the last leg of her hellish journey and she thought about how she would not miss riding for days nor Lord Baelish's constant company. There was something about the older man that she didn't trust, but he and her grandmother had been the ones to orchestrate a proposal for the king and plant a seed in his mind. All she could do was act grateful; she would be a princess if everything went according to plan after all.

After a ride that felt rather longer than she had imagined it would have been, Margaery finally reached the castle in the clouds and was greeted by a stocky man with silver hair, dressed in a sky-blue cloak and brandishing a moon-and-falcon on his breastplate.

“My lady,” the man said, offering up his hand to assist her, “It is a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ser Vardis Egen, captain of the household guard.”

“Lady Margaery of House Tyrell. The pleasure is all mine, Ser Vardis,” Margaery replied with a smile. She took his hand as she rose to her feet, giving a small curtsey.  “Not that I didn’t enjoy the company of the turnips for a little while.”

He gave a hearty laugh at her comment, and she could not help but grin. Her grandmother had told her that she was a natural charmer; she only hoped Robb Stark would feel the same.

Lord Baelish was pulled up quickly behind her, as was the rest of their party. She, along with several other noble ladies, was brought to the Eyrie under the guise of potential betrothal to Robyn Arryn despite him being nine years her junior.

“Even if he does not choose one of you, it will be good for him to socialize with young ladies of his stature.” That had been Baelish’s reasoning with Lysa, at least, though Margaery was certain she’d let Robyn make friends with a bear if Baelish suggested it. From what she could tell from her conversations with the older man, the Lady of the Eyrie was more than a little fond of her childhood friend.

Margaery and the other ladies were ushered into the reception hall, which Margaery had read was fittingly named the Crescent Chamber. Her immediate impression of the castle was that on the inside its decorations were ornate and beautiful, but it still had a cold, detached air that unsettled her slightly. Thankfully, the same could not be said for Lord Arryn, who was there to welcome them along with his wife and son. The man who had become known for helping to almost orchestrate the dethroning of a dynasty was surprisingly unassuming, greeting each new arrival in turn and assuring them they were all most welcome at the Eyrie. He reminded Margaery somewhat of her grandfather Leyton, and that thought definitely helped calm her nerves as she wondered how easy or difficult it would be for her to find Robb.

“Your chambers have all been prepared and should be to your liking,” Lysa declared, “And tonight there will of course be a feast which you are all invited to join.”

 _‘The perfect opportunity to speak with Robb,'_ Margaery thought to herself, ‘ _I hope I can find him by then, and I hope that he is treated well here and is allowed to sit at the same table as me.’_

Lady Arryn gave an encouraging  smile as she looked down at Robyn, and the young boy sunk into a small bow.

“It is a pleasure to have you here at my home,” he announced, sounding rather rehearsed.

Several of the other ladies let out giggles, and Margaery had to keep from rolling her eyes. He was a frail child, looking almost as if he could be blown over by a gust of wind. She would be kind to him if he addressed her, but her thoughts were on someone else.

“If you are in need of anything during your stay here, please let us know,” Lord Arryn spoke up, and for the first time Margaery noticed he was missing several teeth. She also noticed that Lysa had moved to stand next to Baelish, and was leaning in rather closer to him than she might expect for a married lady of the castle.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Arryn,” Baelish said, “Perhaps I should see to it that everyone is settled.”

Lysa looked as though she was about to say something, but Jon interjected before she was able to. “Maddy will be happy to show you the way,” he said, indicating to one of his servants.

Margaery was quick to fall in line behind the other ladies, catching snippets of their excited conversations but resisting the temptation to join in. For many of them it was the first time they had been away from home and their eagerness was endearing and infectious, but Margaery’s focus had to be elsewhere.

“Robb has only recently come of age, just like you. From what Lady Lysa has told me, many a serving girl has shown interest in him.” Petyr Baelish had told her back at the Red Keep when she had been packing for her journey.

Margaery wondered if Baelish’s words were meant to comfort her - as if it would be easier to convince Robb of her affections if he was already admired by others. The king had been rather vague in his instruction, but her grandmother and Lord Baelish had not.

“Seduce him if you must,” Lady Olenna had told her, “Men think with their cocks… He’ll be more than willing to travel to King’s Landing with you if he thinks you’ll fall into bed with him there.”

She gave a soft sigh, wondering if her grandmother would say the same thing of her brothers. The Tyrells seemed to be the exception to every rule, and while she loved her family dearly, she felt doubt creep into the back of her mind on occasion. Was all of this worth it to be closer to the crown? Sometimes she found herself wondering if there was more to life than power.

Margaery was the last to be given a room, something which it very quickly became apparent Lord Baelish had ensured so that he could have a word with her. Once they had reached her new chambers he followed her inside, leaving Maddy behind.

“The Arryns tend to keep Robb out of sight - wisely, I suppose. You may find him training at the barracks or spending time in the stables, or he may not be in the castle at all. Supposedly he’s rather fond of wandering through the mountains.”

Margaery gave Baelish a small nod. “I will find him before the feast tonight,” she promised, “If we are already familiar with each other then I’ll have an excuse to sit near him.”

“Good thinking,” Baelish commented, “I have always suspected you were far cleverer than the rest of your family, Lady Margaery.”

Margaery blinked, uncertain as to whether she ought to take that as a compliment or not.

“I’ll tell you something that you ought to know about men,” Baelish continued, “We find nothing more irresistible than coming tantalizingly close to having what we want only for it to be taken away.”

His words did not need further explanation. ‘ _I must be willing to let Robb do anything but take my maidenhead_ ,’  she thought to herself, bitterly musing, ‘ _That will be saved for a different stranger.’_

She nodded politely at her companion in understanding, and he gave a wry smile. “I will leave you to it, my lady,” he remarked with a small bow, “If I catch word of where he is before you, I will be sure to let you know.”

“Thank you,” she replied, breathing a sigh of relief once he was gone. She thought much better when she wasn’t under the watchful eye of someone else. She deduced that it would be best to find the stables first to check for Robb there; if he wasn’t present, she could tack up a horse and go looking for him. She couldn’t spare herself a minute, she knew; the king was not known for being patient, and the quicker she worked, the more favor she would earn.

She took off down the corridor, stopping only briefly to ask a serving girl to point in her in the direction of the stables. Her stomach rumbled as she walked, and she could not help but let out a small laugh; she was so focused on the task at hand that she hadn’t thought of food in a while. She glanced out of the nearest window out of curiosity as she tried to orient herself, and it was then that she noticed for the first time that there was a garden in the center of the castle grounds. It made a nice change to catch a glimpse of some greenery among the stony mountains, but that wasn’t what made her turn and hurry to the staircase. In amongst the shrubs and statues, she had spotted a figure that looked very much like a young man with auburn hair.

Margaery slowed down her pace as she reached the bottom of the tower, hoping that she wouldn’t miss Robb Stark and he wasn’t just passing through. The way he had been walking, at least, hadn’t suggested that he had somewhere to be - he seemed to just be strolling among the greenery, something which she had done herself on many an occasion in Highgarden.

She could see him better once she stepped onto the grounds. He was exactly as Baelish had described - neither lanky nor stout and favoring the Tully coloring. He hadn’t used the word ‘handsome’ to paint a picture in her mind, but she assumed that was what he meant when he said Robb had the attention of several girls. Indeed, he was pleasant to look at, and even from afar she could see his eyes full of life and spirit, much unlike his cousin Daeron.

‘ _I am fortunate to have stumbled upon him so quickly,’_ Margaery thought, keeping her head down as she walked in his direction, ‘ _Now… how to strike up a conversation? Perhaps we will brush shoulders as we pass one another.’_

Her surprise came when he stopped in his tracks and moved to kneel in the grass, closing his eyes and muttering something under his breath. She reasoned he must not have seen her, because once she had moved a little bit closer he was suddenly alert, hastily standing to his feet and looking altogether rather embarrassed.

“Apologies, my lady,” Robb said, his feet shuffling slightly, “If you’ll excuse me.”

“Surely I’m the one who should be apologizing,” Margaery noted, offering him a smile, “I didn’t mean to disturb you, my lord.”

“I… I’m not a lord, my lady. My name is Robb Stone... I will leave you to your walk.”

“Or… you could join me on my walk?” she suggested with a raise of her eyebrows, subtly taking a step towards him to block his path, “I would not want you to leave on my accord, and I would enjoy having someone to talk to.”

Robb blinked several times, looking as though he was having a difficult time processing her words. “You need not take pity on me, my lady.”

“I’m not,” she insisted gently, “There is no one else here to keep me company, is there?”

“I suppose not,” Robb remarked, “And it would be rude to refuse such a request. I just hope you won’t find my conversation lacking, Lady…?”

“Margaery,” she told him before shaking her head, “I can’t imagine that would be the case.”

“You must be one of the ladies I heard were to arrive today from King’s Landing,” Robb deduced, “I hope your journey wasn’t too unpleasant. I know getting up here to the top of the Giant’s Lance is no easy feat.”

“It wasn’t,” Margaery admitted with a small laugh, “But I am glad to be on solid ground now. How long have you lived here?”

“Since I was a babe… I don’t remember anywhere else. The Eyrie has always been home.”

Margaery nodded, falling in time with Robb as they walked. She wondered briefly what it would be like to grow up apart from one’s siblings and parents with the title ‘bastard’ hanging over one’s head. She imagined it wasn’t easy. “Good, I have befriended someone who knows there way about the grounds,” she said with a smile, “Forgive me if I’m prying… Did the lord and lady of the castle take you in?”

“Yes,” Robb replied simply, “Lord Jon and Lady Lysa were - have always been - most kind.”

Margaery sensed his discomfort, and decided perhaps she ought to change the topic. “They certainly seem it,” she remarked, “This also seems like a nice place to grow up, although I must admit I can’t imagine staying in the castle all the time.”

“Oh gods, you wouldn’t want to do that,” Robb remarked with a small chuckle, “I mean, I suppose some folks feel better inside stone walls, but I think if I didn’t go outside every now and then it would drive me insane.”

“What’s the fun in life if you can’t have some adventure?” Margaery noted, shifting closer to Robb to take hold of his arm. He looked surprised by the gesture but didn’t say anything in protest, and she looked up at him through her lashes, smiling softly. “I’m glad you feel the same. I suppose that’s why I came here first of all places. The castle is beautiful, of course, but I love being amongst nature. My home is surrounded by hedge mazes and fields of golden roses and forests.”

“That sounds amazing,” Robb replied, his eyes wide, “Where are you from, if you don’t mind me asking, my lady?”

“Highgarden. Far, far south of here. I’m a Tyrell. I must admit that I do miss the flowers there.”

“We, um…we have some beautiful blue ones over by one of the statues,” Robb ventured, “I’m sure they’re nowhere near as impressive as the flowers in Highgarden, but...here, let me show you.” He began to lead her in the right direction, and Margaery felt her smile broaden.

“Oh, those are beautiful. Thank you for showing me,” she declared as they reached the flower beds, “Is this garden the Eyrie’s godswood? Do you know?”

“It was supposed to be,” Robb explained, “Lord Jon told me that the intention was to plant a weirwood here, but they weren’t able to get it to grow. They even brought soil up specially for it, or so I heard.”

“A weirwood wouldn’t be able to take root in solid stone,” Margaery remarked, “Such a shame. Our weirwood in Highgarden is actually three weirwoods intertwined. They are quite a sight to behold.”

“Gods, you’re making me want to visit Highgarden one day.” He broke from her momentarily to bend down and pick one of the flowers, plucking the thorns from its stem before passing it over to her.

She stared at his hand for a moment before taking the blue rose from him. “Thank you,” she nearly whispered. He had taken her by surprise.

“Have you never been offered a flower before, my lady? I find that hard to believe,” Robb remarked before seeming to realize what he’d said. “Sorry, I don’t wish to speak out of turn.”

“Don’t be sorry,” she murmured, carefully tucking it behind her ear. He was being so kind. _‘Don’t let your guard down,’_ she told herself, ‘ _It could be a ruse.’_ Her grandmother had advised her to always have the upper hand. “I have never been offered a flower before by a man as noble as you,” she told him.

Robb’s face flushed, and Margaery wanted to kick herself for the thought that crossed her mind that he looked adorable. “I’m no noble, my lady,” he stated softly.

“Perhaps not by birth, but you are far more noble than many I have met who were born into the wealthiest of families,” Margaery replied. She wondered how much - if anything - Robb knew about his true background, and she hoped that soon he would feel comfortable enough to tell her.

“You flatter me, my lady.” He fell silent, and so she took his arm again so that they could continue their stroll.

“You know, I haven’t met many men or women who are kissed by fire. My cousins have auburn hair, but it’s more orange than yours. Yours almost resembles the calla lilies that grew in Highgarden.”

Robb’s cheeks grew pink again. “I shall have to take your word for it, my lady. You… Your hair is very beautiful. It must take a great deal of time to fashion it in such a fancy style.”

She let out a soft laugh, and this time she felt her own face grow hot. It had taken her longer than normal to style her hair without any handmaidens around to help her, and she could scarcely believe that a man would take note of such a thing. She almost wished that he was not so sweet; she was beginning to feel bad for any mind games she planned on playing with him. He already seemed to willingly accept her attention, and he was easy to talk to.

“Now you are the one flattering me, Robb,” she responded, “And you must stop calling me ‘my lady’. If I am to call you Robb then you must call me Margaery.”

“Very well, Margaery,” Robb said with a smile, “I’m fairly certain I’ve ever met anyone with your name. Do you know if it have a specific meaning?”

“I believe it either means ‘pearl’ or comes from  the name of a herb, depending on who you ask,” Margaery replied, laughing again, “What about yours?”

“Me? Oh, I don’t think my name means anything. Lord Jon and Lady Lysa must just like names beginning with ‘R’.”

“Ah yes, Lord Robyn,” Margaery said with a nod, “Do you get along with him?”

“We don’t interact much. He prefers the company of his parents to anyone else in the castle… I suppose that’s why you and the other ladies were brought here. So that he might find a companion.”

Margaery slowly nodded her head once more. “Would you like to know a secret?” she queried, “I did not come here for Lord Robyn. I wanted to see what life outside of Highgarden was like.”

It was only half a lie. She came for Robb, of course, but she had always wanted to see the world.

Robb let out a jovial laugh before looking to be biting back another. “That’s rather devious of you, Margaery. I envy your sense of spirit. I have wanted to leave these castle walls often, so I know how you feel. What I wouldn’t give to be able to go to Riverrun or Highgarden or Winterfell…”

“Then why don’t you?” Margaery ventured, raising her eyebrows, “You’re a man grown now, are you not?”

“I suppose I am. Recently I have been thinking about it more seriously,” Robb admitted to her, “There is a great deal to consider, but…”

“At least you are under no obligation to marry or manage a castle. If you envy my spirit then I must confess I envy your freedom.” Margaery leant in a little closer to her new acquaintance. “If you’d like a companion on your travels then perhaps you should let me know.”

Robb gave a somewhat nervous laugh this time, and for a moment she wondered if she had come on too strong. “I’m not sure why you are being so kind to a baseborn like me,” he said quietly, a sad smile gracing his features.

“Because I like you,” she told him, “Baseborn, highborn, and everything in between… What does it matter if you find someone you feel an affinity towards? I am glad that we crossed paths.”

“As am I,” Robb replied quietly, his face turning red again. “Although I’ll admit you did startle me slightly at first,” he added.

“I thought I might have. I wasn’t sure what you were doing.”

“Well, since you told me a secret then perhaps I ought to tell you one of mine,” Robb said, pausing for a moment and glancing around before he lowered his voice slightly, “I was praying.”

Margaery’s brow furrowed slightly, and then she realized what her companion was implying. “You worship the old gods?” she asked quietly, “I suppose I never thought about anyone practicing in secret… What were you praying for?”

“You know, the normal things one might pray to the Seven for… Good health, happiness, prosperity for everyone in the castle… But also a change. I asked the gods for some adventure, or perhaps to give me the courage to leave this place and discover the world.”

“It seems as though we’re rather alike, Robb,” Margaery remarked, directing a smile at him, “I suppose it makes just as much sense to pray here in the godswood as in a sept. The old gods have eyes and ears everywhere, do they not?”

“Even in solid stone, I’ve heard,” Robb agreed with a small nod, “I hope they can hear me from here. Perhaps they did and guided you here to the godswood so that we could meet.”

Margaery blinked, her breath catching in her throat. She had grown up learning the right things to say in almost any situation, but Robb was so earnest that it left her momentarily at a loss for words. Of everything she had imagined Robb Stark to be, she hadn’t expected him to be quite so disarming.

“ROBB!” Lysa Arryn’s voice cut through the garden all of a sudden, “What are you doing?”

“I was just… I was taking a stroll with Lady Margaery, my lady,” Robb remarked, going silent when Lysa narrowed her eyes at the two of them.

“Why don’t you go to the kitchens and help with the rest of the meal preparations?” she suggested, “I’m sure Lady Margaery has better things to do.”

Robb gave a small, barely audible sigh. “Yes, my lady.”

Margaery took hold of his hand before he could get very far, pulling him in close to her. “Find me at the feast?” she whispered, giving him an encouraging smile. She leant in to press a kiss to his cheek in full view of Lysa Arryn, feigning confidence while her heart beat wildly in her chest.

When she pulled back, she noticed that Robb’s face was bright red but he was also wearing a smile unlike any she had seen from him so far. “I...I will,” he whispered, then adding more loudly, “It was a pleasure to meet you, Margaery.”

Lysa narrowed her eyes as Robb walked away, but she did not speak up again until the young man in her care was well out of earshot. “I don’t know what you’re playing at,” she remarked, “You’re from a prestigious family. You ought to know that even a minor lord is likely out of the question for you, let alone a bastard.”

Margaery frowned. _‘Baelish should be keeping Lady Lysa occupied and out of my way if he wants this plan to go smoothly,’_ she thought to herself. The lady of the household’s opposition to her pursuing Robb made her ponder certain possibilities, though. ‘ _Perhaps the Starks have already thought of pairing Robb with another… someone whose family might ally with theirs should they choose to rebel.’_

She had half a mind to tell Lysa that she herself ought to know better being so openly affectionate with another man in front of her husband, but she held her tongue. She didn’t think it wise to make enemies with the person whose castle she was occupying. “I’m sorry, my lady, I was merely trying to make friends here. He was kind and intelligent. I must attribute some of that to you since you fostered him here.”

It seemed flattery was a good approach. Lysa’s mouth relaxed slightly and she blinked several times. “Very well, then,” she remarked, “Men are very impressionable, however. You should do well to remember that. He might get the wrong idea.”

Margaery raised her eyebrows, feigning shock. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t want _that_ ,” she said, “I’ll heed your advice, my lady. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to my chambers.”

After bidding Lysa a polite goodbye, Margaery set off back in the direction of the inner castle and staircase. She glanced upwards on her way and made a mental note that, if she remembered rightly from her small tour of the castle, it seemed as though Lady Arryn’s apartments overlooked the garden where she had found Robb. She would need to be careful about meeting him there in the future, although it was helpful to know now that his connection with the old gods meant it would be a likely place to find him.

‘ _Baelish clearly didn’t know about that_ ,’ Margaery mused to herself. It seemed there was rather a lot that Baelish had failed to obtain from Lysa, in fact, and Margaery quickly decided that was to blame for her own surprise at the kind of young man Robb Stark had actually turned out to be.

Margaery felt unnerved but also excited for the feast, thinking her time with Robb earlier was cut too short. She tried to convince herself that she was looking forward to seeing him again because of the role she was playing, but she could not deny that he was pleasant company, and she liked the way he looked at her. She only hoped that Baelish would play his part this time around and kept Lysa distracted during the festivities.

By the time supper rolled around, however, she had formulated a better plan that didn’t have her relying on anyone else for help. She made sure to dress in her finest clothes and wear her hair down in soft ringlets as Robb had told her that he thought it was beautiful. She bit back a smile as she readied herself, dabbing a bit of rosewater that she’d brought with her on the base of her neck and her wrists. Strange as though it might have seemed to her only that morning, she was actually looking forward to seeing the young Stark heir again and getting to know him better.

“Father said that if I play my cards right, I could be Lady of the Eyrie someday,” Margaery heard one of the girls remark on her way to the High Hall, “Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

‘ _If I play my cards right, I could be a princess someday,_ ’ Margaery mused, but the idea didn’t hold anywhere near as much excitement for her as she imagined it might for many. Her family’s strength and prosperity were more important than mere excitement, however, and she was well aware those would be guaranteed by a match to a prince.

Her eyes scanned the hall when she made her way through the door, first dancing over the heads of all of the people she could see in search of red hair and then over the food adorning the tables. She knew that most everything had been imported from somewhere else in the kingdoms, but it all looked delicious and fresh nonetheless. She was about to start looking for Robb again when she felt a gentle hand on her elbow, and she spun around to see him standing there.

“Sorry, I hope I didn’t startle you,” he remarked, giving a sheepish smile, “I just thought it would be easiest to find you if I waited near the entrance here… You… that dress is beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Margaery said, glancing down briefly at her clothing before smiling at Robb, “And you didn’t startle me at all. I was actually just searching for you but you beat me to it.”

“I thought you might sit nearer the high table and I didn’t want to miss you,” Robb explained, “Although I suppose it’s difficult to miss someone in this hall, but…”

“I’m glad you found me,” Margaery interrupted gently, reaching for Robb’s hand and making him flush crimson once more. “I have a better idea that doesn’t involve either of us sitting in this hall at all,” she told him with a smile, “I brought a satchel for us to sneak some food, and then I thought we could go somewhere together - just the two of us.”

She watched his jaw fall ajar before he gave a small nod. “Where do you wish to go?”

“Anywhere, so long as it’s with you,” she murmured, taking a step closer to him.

She hadn’t thought it would have been possible for Robb’s face to turn even redder, but apparently she had been wrong. “I...I’m trying to think,” he admitted, “Unfortunately there aren’t that many private places in this castle. I mean, not that I...I’m only trying to say that if we wanted to go somewhere nobody would disturb us…”

“What about the stables?” Margaery suggested with a raise of her eyebrows.

“It gets windy up there. I wouldn’t want you to be cold, my lady...Margaery,” Robb corrected himself. He paused for a moment before musing: “I suppose the Maiden’s Tower will be mostly unoccupied with everyone being here, but that’s rather windy too. The view of the Vale is beautiful, though.”

“Let’s go there, then. Never mind the wind.” It would make for a good excuse for her to huddle closer to him for warmth, she thought.

He broke into a grin. “Alright, on one condition. I will grab a cloak from my chambers before we leave so that you can wear it should you get cold… If you gather the food, I can meet you in the corridor in a few minutes.”

“Sounds good,” she replied, giving his hand a squeeze, “I will see you again soon.”

Robb nodded eagerly, and she felt him squeeze her hand in return before he let go and stepped around another young woman to make his way to the doors. She had noticed him glance over his shoulder, and followed his gaze to where Jon and Lysa were sitting with Robyn. He clearly cared a great deal about his foster family, and Margaery couldn’t help but think it rather sweet. The other thought that occurred to her was that so far gaining Robb’s trust was proving even easier than she had imagined.

While Robb disappeared to his chambers, she made her way over to a table and cast her eye over the assortment of foods that had been cooked for the feast while trying to guess at what he might enjoy. Helping herself to a plate, she piled it with various different kinds of meat, including some oysters which she overheard someone say had been brought in from Gulltown.

When she made her way back to the corridor, her satchel was filled and her heart was starting to beat quickly again out of nerves. It was rather thrilling to meet someone new with whom she connected so easily, but at the same time she felt anxious thinking of what might happen once she and her new companion were alone. Would he try to kiss her or touch her? She had never kissed anyone before. She realized she was getting ahead of herself when she saw Robb appear once more with a cloak draped over his arm.

This time he was the one to reach for her hand, gently pulling her in beside him to guide her through the castle. “How was your afternoon?” she asked politely as they walked, “Did you have a chance to rest?”

“Umm, well…‘rest’ doesn’t tend to be a popular word around here, but I suppose I did a little if you count getting ready for the feast,” Robb answered, “Otherwise my afternoon was quite pleasant. I met a very fair and kind maiden in the garden, for one. What about you?”

His words took Margaery by surprise, and she felt her face flush. “Well, I...truthfully I barely remember my afternoon besides meeting you,” she told him, “I was so looking forward to seeing you again. And I truly hope I didn’t get you into trouble with Lady Lysa.”

“Oh, no. I just think she didn’t want you interacting with me because of my status. I… part of me wishes to respect her, but I know you don’t care. And I really want to spend time with you. To be honest, I hardly ever do anything for myself. If I’m being selfish in talking to you then… so be it.”

Margaery blinked at Robb’s words, finding herself at a loss as to what to say. He was being so honest with her, and it pained her more than she thought it would to know that she was deceiving him. Perhaps he was not even aware of his situation. She laced her fingers through his, drawing him closer. “So be it,” she repeated, giving a nod, “I want to see you every day that I’m here… if that’s what you want as well.”

“Your company every day? I’m not sure what else I could want,” Robb remarked, and she watched as a grin spread across his face, “I’m so glad you came here, Margaery. You know, there aren’t many people of my age around here, and...well, just having someone to talk to would have been nice, but I never could have imagined someone like you.”

The pang Margaery had started to feel inside her unexpectedly hit her again, and she decided to try to change the subject. ‘ _Perhaps he is deceiving me, too_ ,’ she told herself in part to make herself feel better, ‘ _Perhaps all he wants is to take my maidenhead and leave me with his bastard_.’ She could not convince herself of those fears, however, and around her new companion she found she felt nothing but safe. “So,” she ventured, “You said you can see much of the Vale from the Maiden’s Tower?”

“Yes, including Alyssa’s Tears - the waterfall, that is,” Robb answered, “I suppose you’ve already seen it, but it’s quite breathtaking from above.”

Margaery’s eyes widened slightly, and she let out a laugh. “I’m not sure I’ll have seen anything of the sort,” she admitted, “That sounds incredible.”

“I will take you to the balcony so that you can have the best view,” he offered, leading her up a flight of stairs. When they reached the top, he let go of her hand to drape his cloak over her shoulders in a tender gesture. For all of her worriment about intimacy earlier, she now found herself wanting to lean in and kiss him as he helped her sweep her curls over her shoulder and out of the way. “There,” he said softly, “For a southron lady, you wear furs quite well.”

“What exactly are you implying about southron ladies, Robb?” Margaery questioned, turning and playfully raising an eyebrow at him. The words had come out almost without her thinking, and almost as soon as they had she regretted them. Men did not appreciate being challenged, she had been taught that, and she could only hope that Robb wouldn’t be put off.

“Only that I’m rapidly discovering my perceptions of them prior to meeting you were very wrong,” Robb answered, giving a laugh. He then led her gently in the direction of the balcony, where the sun was just beginning to set over the Vale of Arryn.

A gust of wind nearly blew the doors back behind them, but Robb shielded her from the worst of it, keeping her close as she took in her surroundings. It was breathtaking, but even so she found she could not concentrate on the view. It was unfair of everyone who had put her in this position to ask her to seduce and break the heart of such a kind and spirited young man. It would have been so much easier to go through the motions had Robb been just another simple-minded lord with nothing to offer her.

‘ _You mustn’t let feelings deter you,_ ’ she told herself, ‘ _It’s not a matter of what you want. It’s what you need to do. For your family.’_

She closed her eyes, willing away her personal desires and doubts. She only opened them when she heard her name being spoken.

“Margaery…” Robb murmured, “I’m sorry, do you not like it here? We can go back inside if you wish.”

“No...it’s beautiful,” Margaery said earnestly, fixing her gaze on the horizon, “I was only…I was taking a moment to remind myself to focus on the here and now and not worry about the future.”

“You’re wise, then. I always worry about the future,” Robb admitted, “But I’m very content to be here at the moment.”

“As am I,” Margaery all but whispered, “Thank you for showing me such a beautiful place.”

“I hope to show you a great deal more. I like to go riding through the mountains when I can, and you’d be more than welcome to join me.”

She nodded. “That would be lovely.” The wind picked up once more, and she gave a small shiver.

“Can I…?” Robb held out his arms, his face turning beet red.

She could only laugh at how endearing it was, and she stepped forward to slip her arms around him in return, giving a small sigh when she felt his hands come to rest on her back. This was _nice_. She felt in that moment that she never wanted to let go, especially when he placed his chin atop her head and drew her further into their embrace. Her whole body felt as though it were alight, and she was warmed from the inside out.

“Robb…” Margaery murmured, uncertain of how she was even going to finish her sentence. It was then that she felt the weight of reality hit her, and found herself painfully aware once more that none of this was going to last. After clearing her throat for a moment she gently broke from Robb’s embrace, giving him a smile and keeping one hand on his arm. “We, um...we ought to have something to eat,” she noted, “This food I brought up is probably cold by now.”

“I had forgotten all about supper,” Robb admitted with a sheepish grin, “I don’t really mind it being cold. Have you found the food here to be very different to home?”

“I haven’t tried it yet,” Margaery said with a small laugh, “We have quite a bit of seafood in Highgarden, but I’ve never had oysters. I’m used to river fish, I suppose… Here, why don’t we sit?”

He took a seat beside her on the balcony floor, and she opened her satchel to show him what she had. She had wrapped up some chicken legs sticky with honey and cranberries, and she passed one of them over to her companion.

“I’m sorry if I ask too many questions,” Robb remarked before thanking her for the food. “I only…I’m just so curious as to what it must have been like being raised in Highgarden with your parents. Do you have siblings?”

“I do. Three brothers, all older than me,” Margaery replied. She understood why Robb was asking about her upbringing, and tried to imagine what it must have been like growing up without any parents or brothers or sisters. ‘ _Do you even know that you have them?_ ’ Margaery wondered, and she could not help but feel a pang of sadness for him.

“Three older brothers to contend with. No wonder you are so strong,” Robb said, then taking a bite of his food.

She shook her head. He was so kind to her, and she liked him so much already. ‘ _How is this possible?’_ she thought, ‘ _Am I cursed? I’ve never felt this way about anyone, and of course I have feelings for the one person I’m not meant to have feelings for.’_

“You’re so sweet,” she muttered, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder.

“ _You’re_ the sweetest person I’ve ever met,” Robb remarked, wrapping his arm around her, “I’m not sure if this castle is best suited to you, you know...only the sense that the Eyrie is so harsh and isolated, and you are so warm and full of life.”

“Thank you,” Margaery said softly, “Perhaps my destiny is not to stay here, then, but I do not believe yours to be, either. Someday the both of us might leave this place together.”

‘ _For King’s Landing,_ ’ she added in her head, although truthfully she had no affection for the Red Keep, and she did not think Robb would particularly like it either.

“I’ll keep that thought in the back of my mind when I’m feeling lonely or sad,” he told her.

Margaery let out a gentle sigh and closed her eyes once more. Though she’d hardly eaten all day, she found she had no appetite for the food sitting in front of them. Her whole life she had been prepared to whatever challenge the world threw at her, but she never thought she’d have to deal with anything quite like this.


	2. Snow

Margaery drew her shawl around herself, avoiding Lord Baelish’s gaze and wishing she could be almost anywhere but where she was sitting at that moment. Just after breaking fast earlier that morning and before she had been able to meet up with Robb, she had been pulled aside and taken to her chambers by the man who’d come with her from King’s Landing. It turned out Baelish had plenty to say to her, and she was growing increasingly frustrated with being spoken to like a child and having to field seemingly endless questions.

“I don’t _know_ ,” she insisted yet again, “Even if he does, it’s not something you would expect him to reveal to someone he’s only known a few weeks.”

“The two of you were escaping to the Maiden’s Tower on the day you arrived,” Baelish pointed out, “What happened?”

“I expect that, unlike most men, he’s trying to be courteous and wishes to know me better before anything else.” It was true that Robb was nothing short of a gentleman and had shown himself to be respectful time and time again, but what she did not tell Baelish was that she could have been pushing a little harder. She loathed the idea of hurting Robb in any way, and so she had been putting off prying or attempting to seduce him for further information.

“Change his mind, then,” Baelish said shortly, “The longer this takes, the more frustrated the king will become… Prince Daeron can’t wait forever to take a bride.”

Margaery took in a deep, shuddering breath. “Fine, my lord. I’ll do what I can. If you’ll excuse me, I believe Robb is waiting for me at the stables.” She brushed past him without saying another word, her face hot with anger. It startled her when his hand suddenly reached out to grab her by the arm.

“Your family’s fate as well as yours and mine are resting on this. You’d do well to remember that,” he noted, “It would be such a shame to see the other Tyrells suffer because you couldn’t do your duty.”

‘ _As if I need to be lectured on duty by you of all people_ ,’ Margaery thought. Outwardly, however, all she did was reply with a short but polite: “I understand, Lord Baelish.” She shook her arm slightly, and thankfully he let go.

She was so furious making her way down the corridor that she almost ran straight into Robb, her eyes cast downwards until she heard his voice.

“Margaery!” he declared, placing a gentle hand on her arm, “I’m glad I found you.”

“I’m so sorry, Robb. Was I that late for our meeting?” she queried, swallowing the lump in her throat, “I must have lost track of time…”

He shook his head. “No, you weren’t late. I was just thinking a lot this morning, and I wondered if you wished to go to my chambers instead of the stables.”

“Your...chambers?” Margaery echoed, blinking at him. She thought she had gotten to know Robb rather well over the past few weeks, but she hadn’t really expected him to make such an offer. She was quick to compose herself, however, breaking into a smile. “That sounds perfect,” she replied.

“Good,” Robb said, offering his hand to her, “I must apologize in advance because they are not really fit for a lady such as yourself, but…”

“Oh, nonsense,” Margaery insisted, shaking her head.

He gave a laugh, causing her heart to skip a beat. “I love that you are the last person to judge me. You’ve always been that way, since the first day we met.”

She worried her bottom lip as he led her down the corridor, her thoughts racing. _‘Is today the day he tells me all he knows?’_ she wondered, ‘ _Perhaps Baelish lectured me for no reason. Why else would Robb be inviting me to his apartments?’_

“You seem distracted, Margaery,” he spoke up again, interrupting her thoughts, “Or… upset? Please don’t say it’s because of me.”

“No, you’ve done nothing to upset me,” she answered immediately, “I’m sorry. I’m just… Thinking about how wonderful it will be for us to be alone together - truly alone.”

Margaery watched as Robb’s face flushed. “I have been thinking the same,” he admitted, “It’s always nice not to have to worry about Lady Lysa finding us or glaring at us whenever we’re anywhere near each other.”

“She doesn’t visit your chambers?” Margaery asked.

“No, never,” Robb replied, “She wouldn’t really have any reason to, I suppose.”

Margaery wondered not for the first time how hard it must have been for Lady Stark to have given up her son, even to her own sister. She also wondered how much happier Robb would be had he been raised by his mother.

“That works in our favor then,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. They reached a rather flimsy looking door that Robb promptly pushed open, revealing a bed built for one, a wardrobe, and a few other small pieces of furniture. ‘ _Gods, the least they could have done was give him a better place to live,_ ’ she thought, her mouth twisting slightly, ‘ _I suppose they didn’t want anyone to be suspicious of their showing favoritism…’_

“I tried to clean up as best as I could for you,” Robb remarked with a soft smile, causing her to cease her looking around and meet his gaze instead.

She smiled back and swooped in to kiss his cheek. “You are, undoubtedly, the most kind-hearted, loveliest, sweetest man I have ever met,” she told him quietly, “I am so fond of you, Robb.”

Robb’s cheeks turned pink and she felt him reach for her hand. “You are the cleverest, most joyful and most beautiful lady I have ever met - in every sense,” he said in return, “My favorite place to be is wherever I’m with you.”

“Were that we could be together always,” Margaery remarked, staying close to him as she threaded her fingers through his.

“Well, I’m glad you’ve said that because perhaps...perhaps we can,” Robb said, making her raise her eyebrows slightly with surprise, “I brought you here to tell you something… You must forgive me for not telling you earlier, but I… In truth, I was scared, Margaery. I know I can trust you, though.”

Margaery felt her heart sink, but as she turned inwards towards her companion, she decided that whatever he had to tell her, she would not be repeating it to Baelish. ‘ _Damn the consequences,’_ she thought to herself, ‘ _I care too much about Robb. I can just feign ignorance with everyone else. He doesn’t deserve to be deceived.’_ She nodded her head in encouragement, taking his other hand in hers.

“I… I’m not a bastard,” he murmured, “I’m Lord and Lady Stark’s eldest child. They sent me here with my aunt and uncle right after the war was over for my safety… As lonely and at times frustrating as life has been for me thus far, I’m starting to feel as though it was all worth it so that I could meet you. If you think I’m a traitor to the crown, you can walk away and never look back… But I want to be with you, Margaery.”

“Oh, Robb…” Margaery breathed. She wasn’t entirely sure how to even start to answer his revelation, but she knew one thing she had to make sure was clear to him. “I...I couldn’t possibly think you a traitor. You’re innocent in all this. Gods, I can’t believe...it must have been so difficult for you to grow up knowing your family was out there but you couldn’t be with them.”

“Lord Arryn only told me about a year ago,” Robb explained, “I’m so sorry, I really didn’t want to keep it from you. I’ve been truthful in everything I’ve said to you about wanting to leave this place someday, and how perhaps we might go together. Part of the reason I wanted to tell you is because….I’d like to write and ask your father for your hand, Margaery. If that is what you desire as well, of course.”

Margaery let out soft giggle, and instead of answering with words this time, she leaned forward to press her lips to Robb’s. It was something she had been wanted to do for quite a while now, and something she knew he was too polite to do himself. She felt unsure of the future and of what the next steps she ought to take were, but she did know one thing. She was going to make sure that Robb never felt lonely again.

She could tell he was surprised when she first leant in, but once their lips touched she felt him slip his arms around her waist, pulling her in so their bodies were close. Robb’s kiss was tender and only a little tentative, becoming less so as they both relaxed into it. Margaery found herself filled with the same warmth she felt whenever they embraced, only this time magnified a hundredfold.

“Is that a ‘yes’?” Robb murmured playfully, barely pulling away from her as a smile spread across his face.

“Yes, a thousand times yes,” she whispered, bringing a hand up to trail through his curls, “I’m only worried, Robb, if no one knows you exist… You would come out of hiding for me? Is that what your parents would want?”

“I honestly don’t know what they would want,” he admitted quietly.

“We’ll figure it out,” she assured him, drawing him in for another kiss, “For now I just want to do this.”

“You won’t hear me object to that,” Robb remarked softly before their lips met again. She could feel his smile as they kissed, and found that in that moment she could feel nothing but happiness. The size of Robb’s chambers seemed irrelevant now that they were close to each other but still she felt as though they were somehow not close enough.

She let out a soft moan against his lips and let her hand come to rest on the back of his neck, keeping it there as she pulled away slightly. “Have you...done this before?” she asked him.

“This? No, never,” Robb admitted, “Why? Oh, gods, I’m sorry...am I terrible?”

Margaery gave a gentle laugh. “No, you’re perfect,” she told him, looking up at him through her lashes, “I was just curious. You’re the first man I’ve ever kissed… The first one I’ve ever _wanted_ to kiss.”

“I feel the same way about you… I mean, you’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to kiss. Gods, I should shut up, shouldn’t I?”

She laughed again, only this time he silenced her by pressing his lips to hers once more.

Margaery could feel her heart pounding again but this time only in the best of ways. When Robb’s mouth opened slightly beneath hers, she tightened her grip on the back of his neck and let herself get swept up in him and in the moment. Growing up, she had been taught that intimacies such as these were expected in a marriage, but never that she might actually enjoy them.

“Margaery...can I kiss you here as well?” Robb whispered, his lips hovering below her ear, and she gave a giggle.

“Yes, of course.”

“What about here?” Robb asked again, having moved further down her neck. When she agreed, he pressed a tender kiss there before moving down again. “And here?” Margaery found she kept giggling as he continued to ask her, waiting for her confirmation every time.

“You can kiss me anywhere you like,” she told him eventually. He looked up at her, his eyes dark with desire, and she could not help but think that she had never met anyone more handsome. She gently nudged him towards his bed so that he could sit and she could straddle his waist. Courtesies be damned, she thought - this is what she wanted. _He_ was what she wanted, and she felt emotions bubbling to the surface that she’d never felt before. It was strange, she thought, to feel so intensely about someone, but a good kind of strange. She had learned to control her emotions and had sometimes kept herself from feeling at all, but Robb took away her inhibitions and allowed her to just _be._

“Gods, you’re...I’ve never seen anyone so…” Robb seemed to be struggling to find the words, but his actions told her what he meant easily enough. One of his hands moved tentatively to cup her breast through her dress, and he dropped his head so that he could kiss the parts of her skin that were exposed. Margaery felt a twisting low in her belly and realized that she was beginning to grow wet between her legs, feeling her own face flush.

“ _Robb_ ,” she let out a moan along with his name, leaning into his touch. It was curious, she thought briefly, how she had been the one sent to seduce him and yet he was the one making her lose all her senses.

“I could do this forever,” she whispered against his mouth, giving a smile.

“I could as well,” he replied just as softly, laying back against the pillows of the bed and taking her with him, “Gods, I should not have waited so long to tell you…”

Margaery gently shook her head, slipping her leg between his. “I would have kissed you anyway, lowborn status or not. Honestly I wanted to the first day I met you.”

“You did? Truly?” Robb murmured, a grin spreading across his features as he kissed her again, “I still think the gods sent you, Margaery. I see no other explanation.”

Margaery could only bite down on her lower lip, finding Robb’s enthusiasm endearing. Feelings of guilt almost threatened to bubble to the surface when she thought of the real circumstances behind how they had met, but she pushed them aside as she rolled her hips slightly into his.

“Seven fucking hells,” Robb whispered. She had never heard him use quite that kind of language before and she gave a small laugh, having been taken by surprise. “Sorry, it’s just that you… you overwhelm me.”

“We overwhelm each other,” she amended, trailing her fingers over his cheek, “My heart was missing something, and I found it in you.”

“Oh, Margaery…” he breathed out, slipping his arms around her in a warm embrace and holding her close to him. After they shared another fervent kiss, their foreheads came to rest against each other and she could feel his heartbeat beneath hers. “I suppose we shouldn’t...get too carried away,” Robb murmured, “Not before we’re married.”

“I suppose not,” Margaery whispered back, “Although I rather like getting carried away with you.” Robb’s chest rumbled as he gave a gentle laugh. “Perhaps we can get carried away in other ways,” she suggested. She took his hand in hers and brought it up to her breast again, letting him know that she did not mind at all if he touched her. It felt better than she hoped to say to let him explore her body.

She let out a content hum and then moved to press her lips to his neck, giving his hand a squeeze. It was then that she heard something that took her a moment or two to place, until she realized he’d let out a moan. It surprised Margaery how much she liked the sound, and also how much she liked how low his voice was when he replied to her earlier suggestion: “I rather like that idea.”

“Good,” she muttered, giving a small gasp when his thumb brushed over her nipple. She broke from him only for a moment to push one of the straps of her dress down to reveal her bare skin underneath. She almost wanted to laugh at the look on his face, but all she could do was moan herself when his warm, calloused hand went back to her breast.

“You’re... _perfect_ ,” Margaery heard Robb say in her ear, his tone filled with awe. Her nipples grew stiff as he trailed his fingers over them and she moaned yet again, letting her own hands move to unfasten his jerkin.

“Here, I’ll help,” Robb offered, reaching for his own laces as well, “It doesn’t seem right for only one of us to be half-undressed.”

Margaery gave a laugh. “Just so long as your hands go back to where they were before,” she teased him, “You can touch me anywhere you like as well, you know.”

“You’re being far too generous,” he said, causing her to give another giggle.

“I would offer you the world if it was within my power to, my sweet Robb.”

He smiled at her with bright eyes, making her wonder if this is what it was like to be loved by someone. He finished undoing his jerkin, and it seemed as though all rational thought left her mind as she looked him over.

“Margaery?” Robb spoke up, “What…” She cut him off, capturing his lips with hers and running her hands down his chest. He had just a thin layer of hair there, red like the hair on his head, and she could feel his muscles firm beneath it.

“Thank the gods no other lady caught your eye before me,” Margaery commented softly, “I would have been most jealous of anyone else here with you as I am now.” Robb flushed pink, and she smiled again. “You are so handsome,” she told him, “In case I haven’t made that clear enough. Everything about you is gorgeous.”

“There could never be anyone else for me,” he murmured in return, “I don’t want the world, Margaery. I just want you.”

Their lips met again, and Robb’s words only made Margaery all the more secure in her decision to make his secret also her own. She felt as though she owed him that at the very least, although admittedly she didn’t want to think about what would come next. It was unusual for her to want nothing more than to only focus on the present, but Robb made it easy to forget everything else - particularly when she felt his hand slip underneath her skirts.

“Is this…?” Robb began, not even finishing his question before she nodded.

She pressed her body flush to his and then leaned forward to kiss him passionately, her tongue slipping between his lips. She wanted to lose herself in the feeling of him, and he was doing a good job of helping her do so. Another gasp escaped her mouth when he ran his fingers over her smallclothes.

“Does that feel good?” Robb asked, slowly beginning to stroke her through them.

“That’s an understatement,” Margaery breathed, leaning into his touch. Each movement of his fingers only made her want more, and even the small amount of clothing between them and her skin soon became too much. She opened her legs a little further, reaching between them to push her smallclothes aside and let him find find just the right places within her folds.

“ _Fuck,_ Margaery…” he muttered, using both his hands and hips to pleasure her. She could barely think straight, but somehow she had the mind to want to make him feel good as well, and so she slid a hand between his legs. He cursed again, and then it was her turn to swear as he bent his head to take her breast in his mouth.

She sighed, thinking she’d never imagined she’d enjoy something as much as she was enjoying what they were doing right now.

“Oh... _yes_ , Robb,” she gasped suddenly, his fingers having pressed against a spot that made her almost delirious with pleasure. She had been working on reaching into his breeches, but she froze temporarily and let her eyes fall closed, feeling him rub over her again and again. His mouth was still on her breast when she felt his finger on his other hand move lower and slowly start to sink into her.

She let out a soft cry, letting him fuck her with his fingers for a few moments more before she pushed a hand into his breeches. She wrapped her fingers around him, but she knew she wasn’t going to last much longer when they continued to touch each other and he gave a hum against her nipple.

“Margaery…” she thought she heard him moan just before a ripple of pleasure went through her body. Her head leant back and she cried out again, her other sensations all but lost to her as she rode out her high. Robb’s hands remained where they were and saw her through until a pleasant, satisfied sensation overcame her and she made him groan as she continued to stroke his length.

A few seconds after she caught her breath, she felt something sticky on her fingers and realized he had spilled into her hand. She rested her head on his shoulder as words were lost on her for the time being.

“Margaery… My wonderful, perfect Margaery,” Robb whispered, kissing the side of her head, “There’s… there’s a basin of water over there if you want to clean up.”

“I will in a moment,” she replied softly, “So long as I get to come back here and do more of this.”

“As often as you like,” Robb replied, his face flushing as a smile lit up his features, “Although hopefully we won’t be here for much longer. I’ll write to your father as soon as possible.”

“No!”

Robb’s eyes widened and Margaery realized she had startled him with her outburst, so she took a breath and pressed a tender kiss to his lips in reassurance. “You need to be careful, my sweet Robb,” she told him softly, “We don’t want the knowledge of who you are getting into the wrong hands.”

His brow furrowed. “I appreciate your concern, sweetheart, but… how are we to be married if I don’t write your father?”

“I don’t need someone else’s permission to give my heart away, and I have already given mine to you,” she said, “Let me write to my family and tell them that I have found a suitable match in the Vale… I just cannot fathom the idea of losing you or you getting hurt because of who you really are. If we have to be married in secret, then so be it.”

“Very well, but I wouldn’t want...I would be proud to marry you, Margaery, regardless of what anyone else would think,” Robb protested, “I wouldn’t want to make it seem as though I was ashamed.”

“I know, and I adore you for it. But...the fact of the matter is my family fought for the Targaryens,” Margaery explained, “I will take care of it, I promise you.” She kissed his lips once more, hoping to bring the smile back to his face.

She succeeded, as he quickly broke into a grin. “I cannot believe that I get to marry the most beautiful woman in the world and that she is just as passionate about me as I am about her,” he murmured.

She smiled back at him. “I think I will get cleaned up now,” she told him, “I’m… I’m sorry if I pushed too hard today, Robb. I got caught up in everything and-”

“There’s no need to apologize,” he interrupted her, “I didn’t do anything I didn’t _want_ to do. You made me feel things I never felt before… And truthfully I like how you have no reservations. I like discovering things with you. And I like touching you.”

“I like it, too. I mean, I like the way you touch me and I also like touching you,” Margaery admitted, feeling her face flush, “You...you’re such a good man, Robb. I’m not all that sure whether I deserve you.”

“How could you say such a thing? You deserve the world, Margaery,” Robb affirmed before offering, “Let me help you clean up. Then perhaps, if you like, we can go visit that lake we found together.”

Margaery brought her free hand up to cup Robb’s cheek, leaning forward to press a tender kiss to his lips which she hoped could express how much she appreciated him. “That sounds perfect,” she replied.

“I have half a mind to steal a bottle of wine from the kitchens so that we can celebrate our betrothal,” he said with a laugh and a raise of an eyebrow, helping her stand to her feet.

Margaery laughed as well, thinking that Robb’s idea was a rather good one. She knew that soon would be the time when she would need to worry - about Baelish, about the king and about her political position as well as Robb’s. For now, though, he was safe, and she chose instead to focus on his happiness and the happiness he brought her for just a little while longer.

* * *

The next few days were spent in complete bliss, and Margaery allowed herself to be selfish for some time, not wanting to do much of anything besides think of Robb and his kindness and treatment of her. She managed to avoid Baelish at all costs, hoping, perhaps naively, that he would leave her be if he didn’t think she had any information. It became difficult to feign cluelessness, however, when she was spending all but every hour of every day with the young Stark that she knew she was falling in love with.

“Gods, Margaery, what’s that on your neck?” Tysane Frey piped up during one supper while Margaery was surreptitiously gathering food in a napkin on her lap. She had plans to meet up with Robb later on as had become their arrangement, but she hadn’t expected to be waylaid by a rather loud outburst from the younger girl sat next to her. Earlier she had thought she had covered the mark in question with her scarf, but apparently it had slipped at some point during the afternoon.

“Nothing you need to be worrying about, Tysane,” Margaery replied curtly but politely.

She noticed Baelish and a few others looking at her out of the corner of her eye, but she paid them no mind, carefully stuffing her satchel full of goodies for her and her betrothed to eat. She could not help but smile to herself thinking about how he would refer to her in affectionate terms and tell her often how excited he was to take her as his wife. He always made her feel valued in more ways than one; as of late, he had been asking her for political advice since he had grown up with very little exposure to it, and she had shared with him what she had learnt from observing her grandmother and father and brothers.

She was so caught up in thinking about Robb that it took her by surprise when she stood up and Lord Baelish suddenly appeared next to her. “Leaving so soon, Lady Margaery?” he asked.

“Why yes. I always find it refreshing to take a walk after supper,” she countered, pushing in her chair.

“I’ll walk with you, then. I _insist_ ,” he looked at her knowingly, giving her little choice to refuse his offer. She gave a nod of her head and then left the hall with him, her heart beating faster when he pulled on her arm as soon as they were out of sight.

“May I help you, Lord Baelish?” Margaery enquired, keeping her tone as even as possible.

“I haven’t been seeing very much of you recently,” Baelish answered, “I wondered if you had any news for me on the boy.”

Margaery wrinkled her nose a little. “ _Robb_ and I have been spending quite a bit of time together. I believe that was what you wanted, no?”

“Yes...but am hoping you haven’t been spending so much time in his company that you’ve forgotten your objective.”

“I could never,” she told him firmly. It was half truth, half lie. What she was meant to be doing lingered in the back of her mind always, but when she was with Robb, she found she could care less about her original objective.

“You know _something_ ,” Baelish countered, suddenly sending fear to course through her. Could she be read that easily? “Just as I know some things. Like about your younger brother and his affections for a certain Dornish man he met at court… If you keep secrets from me, I might be forced to spill yours, my lady.”

Margaery felt her stomach twist into a knot. She had long known of her brother’s predilections and had never seen any harm in them, but she knew others in court would likely not be anywhere near as understanding were they to find out. She thought then of Renly Baratheon, brother to the leader of a failed rebellion but who had been executed many years ago for reasons rumoured to have little to do with that.

“He...he wishes to marry me,” she said, even as her mind worked hard trying to determine what she could say without compromising Robb, “I’ve convinced him not to write to my father, thankfully, but...I’m certain he’ll do anything I ask, including coming with me to King’s Landing. He’s smitten.”

“Then he knows?” Baelish queried, raising his eyebrows, “That he’s not a bastard?”

“I never said-”

“Don’t be foolish. No baseborn, no matter how smitten, would believe he had a chance in marrying a highborn. I shall write the king tonight and tell him what we know. You ought to have come to me sooner, my lady. Even the smallest bit of information can make a difference. If all goes well, we shall depart for King’s Landing again soon.”

All Margaery felt like doing in that moment was endlessly cursing herself. She knew she should have thought more about her words, and she normally would have done, but Baelish’s threat directed at her brother had thrown her for a loop. For now, she decided to remain relatively quiet and not run the risk of accidentally revealing anything else.

“I am looking forward to it,” was all she said, managing somehow to produce a small smile. ‘ _Perhaps_ **_you_** _will be departing for King’s Landing, Baelish_ ,’ she thought, ‘ _But Robb and I will be going somewhere else._ ’ She knew she needed to find Robb as soon as possible, and she knew the both of them needed to run.

“You might come with me to write the letter,” he continued, “I need you to give me as many details as possible. King Rhaegar has grown impatient waiting for our response.” He took hold of her arm, giving her little choice.

 _‘You must feign patience,_ ’ she told herself, ‘ _Help Littlefinger and then find Robb. A raven cannot deliver the news faster than we can get away from here… We can go tonight if we must, under the cover of the moon when no one is expecting it. If that’s what it takes to protect him…’_

“Yes, my lord,” Margaery answered Baelish with a nod. She fell into step alongside him as he made his way down the corridor, wondering what Robb would be thinking when soon he would arrive at their meeting place and she wouldn’t be there. Her heart ached when she realized he would likely worry for her, and she felt thoroughly undeserving of his concern.

“Lord Baelish?” a servant approached Littlefinger at the door to his chambers, “A raven arrived for you just now.” Margaery caught a glimpse of the roll of parchment as it was handed over, and it was enough to see that the seal was bright red.

Her heart sank. She realized in that moment that Baelish might have been communicating with the king the entire time she had been trying to win over Robb without her knowing. She waited with baited breath as he read over the letter in silence, never offering her a chance to look at it.

“Well, my lady, this makes your job easier,” he remarked as he rolled the parchment up once more, a wry smile on his face.

“What...what do you mean?” Margaery dared to ask, although fear was already creeping into her mind. Though she did not know Littlefinger terribly well, she knew him enough to not like his expression one bit.

“His Grace has decided your _friend_ is too much of a threat,” Baelish explained calmly, “Rather than make him an ally, he thinks it would be best if he were to be quietly eliminated as soon as possible.”

Margaery felt her blood run cold. _“No...”_ she whispered under her breath, “I don’t understand. We were so close…”

“Not close enough, I’m afraid,” Baelish said, turning to open the door to his chambers. She was frozen to the spot, and he looked her up and down curiously. “I suppose you can go about your day how you please. If I need you to cause a distraction or otherwise, I will let you know.”

“My lord,” she started, reaching for his arm before he could get inside, “Please, if there’s any other way…”

“If your concern is for your betrothal, Lady Margaery, I may be able to put in a good word for you with the king,” Baelish noted, his eyebrow raising quizzically at her, “Or is your concern another matter? You haven’t taken pity on the boy, have you?”

“I’ve gotten to know him far better than you or the king,” Margaery pointed out, “He isn’t a threat, I swear it. If his life is spared, all he will do is go back to Winterfell and spend the rest of his days getting to know his family.”

“King Rhaegar thinks otherwise,” he said, furrowing his brow, “We have no way of knowing whether or not he’ll spend the rest of his days peacefully.”

She swallowed back her tears, shaking her head slightly. “He is only six and ten, my lord. He has so much more time left on this earth.”

“I’m not the man you should be pleading with, my lady. It’s not _my_ decision to make. I am only doing as the king asks.”

“Then allow _me_ write to the king,” Margaery pleaded, “We can keep to the original plan but I could marry Robb and ensure his loyalty.”

“You would forsake the opportunity to marry a prince for _him_?” Margaery watched as Baelish’s expression slowly changed from one of confusion to one of contemplation and then, finally, realization expressed in a terrible smirk. “Oh, you foolish girl,” he remarked, “I thought you had more wits than that.”

Her voice trembled as she spoke. She had no reason left in her. All she wanted was Robb’s safety, and all she could do was beg. “Lord Baelish… I can’t let him die…”

“I’m sorry, my lady, but I have no choice. It’s too late for negotiations.” He looked her over again, blinking several times. “If you mean to interfere, I will have to do something to prevent you.”

Margaery glanced around quickly, trying to figure out her route to the nearest exit. If she could only get away in time, perhaps she could at least find Robb before Baelish did and warn him. She saw Littlefinger look her way, and in a split second she decided to make a run for it. The guards wouldn’t listen to him, she reasoned, and perhaps she could make it before the lord or lady of the castle arrived.

She had nearly made it to the end of the corridor, ready to round the corner that would take her to Robb’s chambers, when she felt the wind knocked out of her as a set of strong arms came to encircle her waist. They dragged her in the opposite direction of where she wanted to go despite her protests and fighting to get free.

“You truly are more foolish than I thought.” She heard Baelish’s voice again, this time from behind her. “Lady Lysa gave the guards explicit instructions to do my bidding… It’s a pity, my lady, that someone with potential such as yours gave away her heart so easily. I am going to have to lock you up now. I really didn’t want this, but you don’t give me much of a choice.”

“Let go of me!” Margaery snapped at the guards, who seemed perfectly happy to ignore her entirely. She directed her frustration at Baelish instead, looking him squarely in the eyes. “Of course you have a choice! There’s always a choice, no matter how much men like you try to pretend otherwise,” she told him, “If the gods are good your efforts will be futile at any rate. Robb is far more clever than you give him credit for.”

“Perhaps he is,” Baelish mused, “But I wonder how he might feel when he finds out the young woman he is besotted with has been lying to him all this time. People in love, you see, tend to behave far more irrationally...as I believe you have shown.”

“You are unbearably cruel,” she managed to get out, angry tears beginning to flow from her eyes. She had been lying to Robb, yes, but nothing about her feelings towards him was fake. She could not hope to break his heart. “He won’t believe you,” she added, “Why would he trust your word over mine?”

“I have a few letters from the king that might change his mind,” Baelish countered, “If he chooses to find you or run away with his newfound knowledge, I’ll be sure to have a party waiting for him either way. Don’t worry, my lady. I’ll tell them to keep the act as swift and painless as possible for both of your sakes.”

She let out a choked sob before spitting in Baelish’s face, still fighting with all of her might to wriggle out of the guards’ grasp.

A look of disgust overcame Petyr Baelish before he wiped his face with his hand. Had it been any other circumstance than Robb’s life, Margaery thought she might have triumphed in the fact that it was the first time she had ever seen him look even mildly unsettled. As it was, though, she could only think of the young man whose fate was on the line, and Baelish’s next words chilled her to the bone.

“Have it your way, then. Perhaps I won’t tell the party anything at all.”

She tried not to break down completely as she was dragged into Baelish’s chambers and was locked inside, but she could not stop the tears from coming once she was out of sight. She banged on the door out of pure anger and frustration, letting out a scream. All rational thought had left her mind and she was wrought with panic at the idea of Robb being killed, in part because of her. She dissolved into sobs when she heard footsteps walking away, knowing Baelish was off to deliver terrible news to her beloved.


	3. Sky

Margaery walked up and down Lord Baelish’s chambers at an increasingly rapid pace and with only two thoughts on her mind: getting out and getting to Robb. She had not known the young man she cared for so much for very long, she supposed, but it felt as though she’d known him a lifetime, and she thought perhaps well enough to predict what he might do once Baelish told him the truth. It pained her to think about how much he would be hurt - and because of her no less - but even more important than that was saving him from the cruel fate the king had laid out for him.

She wasn’t sure how many minutes she had been locked inside Baelish’s chambers, but she knew that each moment that passed was crucial. When she had ceased her crying, she began to rifle through the room looking for anything that might aid in her escape, overturning every piece of furniture in hopes that she could come up with a plan.

She noticed the window quite high above her head, but she thought if she was able to find furniture to stack, she could climb to the top and smash it open. Her eyes then went to a shield that was hanging on the wall with the House Arryn sigil, most likely only ever used for decoration. She carefully removed it as she thought she might need it later and then set to work creating her own makeshift ladder of sorts. Growing up as a lady in Highgarden hadn’t exactly involved any kind of physical training, although Margaery had always watched her brothers with curiosity. Nonetheless, watching hadn’t done very much for her strength, and she found herself wishing she could lift far more as she tried to place a smaller table on top of a bigger one.

“I do admire how strong you are,” Margaery remembered Robb telling her one afternoon when the two of them had been sitting near the foot of Alyssa’s Tears.

She had looked at him skeptically and raised her eyebrows. “Sweetheart, while I do think I might be able to defeat you in an arm wrestle, I think it would have little to do with my strength.”

Robb had laughed at that, but when he had spoken again it had been in a slightly more sober tone. “You know what I mean. Your strength of will,” he had said with a smile, “There’s nothing you couldn’t do if you put your mind to it, I’m certain.”

She heeded his words as she continued to work, her pile of furniture growing closer to the window. _‘There’s nothing I can’t do,’_ she thought to herself, ‘ _Especially when it comes to saving you, Robb.’_ She stopped short for a moment when she heard talking outside the room and Lord Baelish’s voice addressed her.

“This will all be over soon, Lady Margaery,” he said, his voice snide.

“Wha...what do you mean?” Margaery called out in return. She hoped that if she could keep Baelish talking at least for a little while then he wouldn’t attempt to come inside.

“You should have seen the look on his face when he realized I was telling him the truth about you,” Baelish remarked, making Margaery feel sick to her stomach, “At least the boy will die having been kissed, I suppose.”

“You monster,” she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. She scrambled to grab the shield she’d gathered and began to climb up to the window. “Leave me to grieve in peace,” she said loud enough for him to hear, “You can at least grant me that, can’t you?”

“As you wish, girl.”

She waited until she could hear his footsteps walking away and then she resumed her climbing, doing her best to balance with only one hand free.

As she approached the window, she could hear the wind howling outside and for the first time she thought about how it would be a very long way down even if she did manage to get out. Her best bet was to try to reach the cellars as fast as possible and take the basket down to the mountain below, as she imagined Robb would have done the same, but even then she did not know if she’d be able to reach him in time.

‘ _You have no choice_ ,’ Margaery told herself as she reached the window. She did not even pause to look out into the night before she lifted the shield as high as she could and slammed it against the glass.

It shattered into what seemed like a million pieces, and she prayed that no one would hear the noise and come for her. Her dress protected her from any glass that flew inside, though most ended up on the ground outside. She threw the shield down in case she needed to use it later and then backed herself out of the window, thankful that the stone wall was naturally built with some footholds she could use to climb down.

When she finally, carefully reached the bottom, her eyes scanned the horizon, and she saw a familiar figure hastily making their way towards the stables. ‘ _Robb…_ ’ she thought, grabbing the shield and starting to run in his direction, ‘ _He’s not gone to run away but to clear his head instead. Thank the gods.’_

“ROBB!” she called out once she was close enough, “ROBB!” She looked around, desperately searching for Baelish’s men who she knew at any moment could emerge from the shadows. Her concern was so great that it took her a few moments to register that he had turned to look at her, and it was then that she realized he had tears in his eyes.

“Please tell me you’ve come to say that Lord Baelish was lying,” he said, “Tell me he forged those letters.”

Margaery shook her head slightly, her own eyes misting over. “I can’t lie to you anymore,” she told him, feeling a pang in her chest as he closed his eyes, “I came here to gain your trust and bring you back to King’s Landing with me, but I never… My feelings for you are real. Please, Robb, I don’t need you to forgive me, but I _do_ need you to believe me right now. We need to get out of here. You’re in danger.”

“Margaery…” He trailed off, turning back towards the stable and starting to walk again.

She was about to call after him once more, but then she was horrified to hear a whizzing sound in the air, and then she watched as an arrow struck the ground close to Robb.

“What in…” Robb breathed, reaching for his sword, and Margaery took it upon herself to run forwards as fast as she could with her shield in front of her.

“It’s Baelish’s men!” she called out, “Robb, you need to go! Get as far away from here as you can!”

He paid her no mind, which both frustrated her and surprised her, but she didn’t have any time to dwell on what that might mean. Arrows continued to rain down on the both of them, so many that it was hard to keep track, and more than a couple came dangerously close to hitting their target. One skimmed her arm just in time for her to bring up the shield high enough to stop another from piercing Robb’s leg.

The shield was barely big enough to cover both of them, but she did her best to ensure Robb’s safety at least as another wave of arrows came flying in their direction. She let out a shriek in pain when she felt one graze her ear, and it was in that moment that her companion seemed to realize what was really happening, his eyes wide.

He threw himself over her and then threw the shield over the both of them, curling up in a ball with her.  They stayed like that until they couldn’t hear the arrows anymore, the sound more like sporadic, violent drumming than anything else.

“We have to get out of here,” she choked out quietly, “They might start firing another round soon.”

Robb gave a solemn nod and began to carefully rise to his feet. “Are you all right?” he asked, bringing a hand up to the side of her face, “Margaery, you’re...you’re bleeding.”

“I’ll be fine,” Margaery insisted, shaking her head, “It’s not me they’re after, besides. The king has given orders for you to be killed, Robb.”

He looked at her with wide eyes, though she didn’t give him much time to think, gently pulling on his arm in the direction of the castle. “I don’t… When they see that there’s no body there, they’re going to come looking for you,” Margaery muttered as they walked, “We have to leave now. I’m sorry I couldn’t buy us more time or gather supplies. We’ll have to make do with what we have. Which means we’ll probably have to climb down the handholds-”

“Margaery,” he interrupted her, and she felt his hand reach for hers, “You saved me.”

“Of course I did. I couldn’t...I’m not about to let that monster have his way. You need to go to Winterfell and meet your family.”

“I didn’t believe...I knew it couldn’t have been an act, not entirely. What we had together was stronger than anything I’ve ever felt. It wasn’t just infatuation, it was…”

“Love?” Margaery finished for him quietly. The fact that he had spoken about them in the past tense felt like a punch to the stomach, and she found her eyes unexpectedly filling with tears again. “I’m so, so sorry I kept the truth from you, Robb.”

He stayed silent for a moment, and she was worried she had splintered their relationship entirely. “I’m not sure what I would have done in your situation. I suppose you didn’t have much choice.”

“It was still wrong,” she muttered, blinking back tears, “Somehow, even after I’ll I’ve done, you are so kind and understanding. This is why I fell in love with you… If I could turn back time, I would have told you the truth from the beginning. And I would have told you I loved you earlier. I’m not sure my words mean anything to you now, but you ought to know.”

“Margaery…” Robb’s voice was soft as he gave her hand a squeeze, but his expression was conflicted. Despite usually finding it relatively easy to read people, she had a hard time trying to imagine what was going through his mind. “Thank you for telling me,” he said eventually, “Thank you for saving me. I know you must be risking a great deal by doing this.”  
  
Margaery shook her head. “Let’s get you a horse and get you on your way.”

“And what about you?” Robb questioned, “You can’t stay  possibly here, Margaery.”

“That may be so, but what else can I do?”

“You can come with me,” he offered softly, “It would be difficult for me to make it on my own outside of this castle. You are much better at dealing with people than I am, and you have a greater knowledge of the world. I could use your help.”

She gave a small nod. “I owe you my help, at the very least.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Robb murmured. Margaery wasn’t quite sure how to take his words, so she deemed it best to keep quiet as they made their way down the staircase which led below the dungeons of the castle. Robb had grabbed one of the torches on their journey and was using it to light their path to the cellars.

“Do you think Lord Baelish will have sent more men after me?” Robb wondered aloud, “I haven’t caught sight of anyone.”

“I don’t know, sweet- Robb,” she corrected herself quickly, her cheeks growing hot. “It is eerily quiet. I just pray that we get to the chimney before anyone else does,” she added. There was no time to be embarrassed, not over a blunder so small, anyhow. She held the shield in front of them just in case, unwilling to drop it and lose the one form of defense that they had.

She held tight to his hand when they made it to the cellars, and he used his torch to light some of the wall braziers as it was nearly pitch black.

“We should be able to get a couple of horses at Sky,” Robb remarked, “Let’s try to pick out some good ones so that we won’t have to change for a while.”

Margaery nodded. “Hopefully Lord Baelish won’t have gotten word down to them yet,” she remarked, “I didn’t realize he had the guards under his thumb.”

“He has Lady Lysa under his thumb,” Robb noted, “My understanding is that she’s been in love with him since he was a ward at Riverrun. I suppose folk do like to say that love can blind you.”

“Sometimes, yes,” Margaery agreed, “But love can also...ROBB, LOOK OUT!”

She swiftly moved in front of him as Baelish stepped out of the shadows with a dagger in his hand, and the blade met her bicep with a sickening sound. She recoiled and let out a shriek of pain, then angrily meeting her attacker’s gaze.

“Stay away from him!” she yelled, bringing a shaking hand up to clutch at her wound and stop the blood.

“You stupid girl, always getting in my way,” Baelish hissed, narrowing his eyes at her, “You could have had everything you ever wanted, but you went against my orders. You could have been a _princess._ Now you’ll just be the poor young lady who tragically fell to her death on her way back from the Eyrie.”

“Don’t you dare!” Margaery heard Robb yell right before he pounced on Baelish, knocking the older man to the ground. She watched as the two of them rolled around on the cellar floor, Robb doing his best to wrestle the dagger out of Baelish’s grasp. Though she didn’t doubt Robb’s strength - he had trained most of his life while Littlefinger looked as though he might struggle with a heavy sword - she felt panic overtake her as they both neared the open space where the basket was hanging.

“You’re even stupider than I thought,” Baelish told Robb, clearly trying to throw him off, “I don’t see how she can be worth all this trouble. You should have heard her talk about how easy it was to seduce you.”

“Shut up,” Robb grunted. She watched as he managed to get a grip on Baelish’s wrist and twisted it, causing the other man to let out a strangled yelp and drop the dagger.

Margaery looked round for something, anything, to help Robb. She saw the shield again and snatched it off the floor, running over to the two men.

“Robb, watch out!” she yelled, bringing the shield down to bash against Baelish’s head once her beloved had moved out of the way.

What took place next seemed to happen both incredibly slowly and very quickly at the same time, as Margaery’s shield came down only to meet the wooden floor beneath it. There was blood under her feet but it was her own, with Baelish having rolled away and partially risen to his feet, but no sooner had he done so than he lost his footing and slipped. Margaery could only look on as he briefly tried to cling to the basket in a desperate attempt to save his own life, and his cries were then followed by one long scream which grew fainter and fainter on his way down.

She gave a small sob, placing her head in her hands before she felt Robb’s warm arms encircle her, holding her tight. “I love you, Margaery,” she heard him whisper, and she let out an audible noise of both overwhelming relief and surprise. She buried her face in his shoulder, her whole body shaking as she cried.

“We’re safe, we’re all right,” he murmured against her hair, “We’re going to get out of here.”

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” she muttered back to him, trailing her uninjured arm over his back.

He pressed a tender kiss to her cheek, and for a moment she barely felt the pain of her injury. “Let’s get you bandaged up,” he told her, “We’ll need to clean that wound as soon as we find some water and you can show me some plants I can gather to help you heal. You’ll need to be well if you’re to travel with me all the way to Winterfell.”

Margaery swallowed, tears still trickling gently down her cheeks as Robb pulled away to rip off a piece of cloth from his undershirt. “You...you wish to take me to meet your family?” she asked.

“Yes,” Robb answered as he began to fashion a bandage, “And I wish for _you_ to be my family.”

She gave him a soft smile as he wrapped her cut, not even caring how much it hurt. He was safe and unharmed, and he loved her. She kissed the side of his mouth and then pressed her lips to his when he was finished with his work.

“I’m sorry, I had to,” she whispered, “I love you with all of my heart, Robb. I’ll never lie to you again, I swear it.”

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” he replied softly, “We have lots of time to talk on our way down the mountain. Right now I think it best that we get out of here as quickly as possible.” He helped her stand to her feet, pulling her up by her uninjured arm and wrapping his own arm around her before kissing her lips quickly. “You don’t need to apologize for kissing me, either, my love,” he murmured once he’d pulled away.

The two of them stepped into the basket together, holding each other close for warmth and also more than that. Margaery thought back to when she had arrived at the Eyrie and just how alone she had felt, and from what she had heard from Robb he had grown up even lonelier than her. The two of them had each other now, and that was something she would fight to hold on to.

Truthfully they did not spend much time talking as they let the pulley system lower them to the castle below, wrapped up in each other. It was good, she thought, to distract herself from the pain. Robb stroked her hair and peppered her face with gentle kisses, and she kept her hand over his heart, thanking the gods for every beat.

They did not stop to look at what remained of Baelish as they climbed out of the basket once they were on solid ground.

“How are you faring, sweetheart?” Robb asked her, “I’m hoping we’ll be able to take some supplies as well as horses at Sky.”

“That’s wise. We shouldn’t stay anywhere for too long, though,” Margaery said in return, “Soon enough the king will receive word one way or the other that you’re still alive.”

“I suppose that means we ought not stay in Winterfell too long,” he concluded, his face falling slightly.

“Long enough for you to meet your family and make sure you have a way of contacting them,” she said softly, reaching up to cup his cheek, “It might be the first time you see them but it certainly won’t be the last, I promise you. We will figure something out.”

“And long enough for us to be wed, I hope,” Robb added, “If you’ll still have me.”

“Of course I will,” Margaery breathed, finding herself breaking into a smile despite everything, “If you’ll still have _me_ then I would marry you today if I could.”

“Perhaps it would be safest for us to be married even before we reached Winterfell,” Robb noted, “It would make it more difficult then for anyone who tried to make either of us do otherwise.”

Margaery leaned over to press a kiss to Robb’s lips. “It would be the greatest honor to call myself your wife,” she whispered to him, “To wake up every day in your arms, and to start a family together… It is more than I ever could have wished for, my love.”

She was glad to see a smile cross his features for the first time in a while, and even happier when he brought her in close and kissed her once more. “Come then, my sweet wife-to-be,” he murmured, barely drawing back, “Let’s get off this wretched mountain and find ourselves a weirwood that we can be married under.”

* * *

Travelling through Sky and Snow and finally Stone was only the beginning of the long journey Margaery knew lay ahead of her and Robb. Throughout they had to rely heavily on what they could find and hunt for along the way, although they had been able to steal horses from the first waycastle and a little bit of food. Margaery felt guilty about taking from others and she could tell Robb did just as much if not more so, but they didn’t have much choice - the two of them had, after all, left without packing much of anything. The only reason Margaery was no longer shivering was because Robb had seen her doing so and wound up taking a cloak from a sleeping sentinel at Sky.

It wasn’t until they neared the foot of the Giant’s Lance that hope appeared in the form of Mya Stone, a young woman in service of House Royce whom Robb had long been friendly with. There was no way of knowing for certain that she would help them, but Robb felt confident in trusting her as she was known to be the bastard daughter of the rebel Robert Baratheon, who had died at the hands of King Rhaegar.

After they had hastily told her their story, Mya looked at them for what felt like rather a long time with very wide eyes. Robb had told Margaery that she was naturally quite mistrustful of nobility, but she and Robb had known each other for a long time and that seemed to be enough to convince her to come to their aid. She shared some of the food that she had with her, and gave them some advice for their journey going forward.

“You can continue this way along High Road and you’ll eventually get to the Crossroads Inn, then you can take the Kingsroad up North,” Mya said, “But if I were you, I think I might head east instead, through the mountains and toward Gulltown.”

“Gulltown?” Robb echoed, “What will we find there?”

“Ships,” Margaery answered, realization having dawned on her, “That would get us to the North much sooner.”

“Not to mention if anyone is on your tail it would be easier to lose them in the mountains,” Mya noted, giving a nod.

“Thank you so much,” Margaery told the other woman, reaching to take her hands in gratitude, “Please be careful if anyone comes to you for information. I don’t want to risk you getting in trouble for our sakes.”

“Don’t worry. I am used to keeping my head down around the nobles here. Best of luck to the both of you,” Mya remarked with a small smile.

“Thank you, Mya,” Robb added before turning to help Margaery back onto her horse. She had noticed all the way along their journey so far he had kept wordlessly checking in on her, his gaze always darting towards her arm. Truthfully it was still very painful and difficult to use, but Robb had been unfailing in helping her whenever she needed it. The one thing he hadn’t done, however, was talk to her about any of the events prior to when she had found him near the stables in the Eyrie. She wondered if she was imagining it, but it still seemed as though _something_ was still different between them though she could not pinpoint what, and she wondered if his relative silence had anything to do with that.

“We’ll be all right. We have each other,” Margaery affirmed, and it was truly what she believed.

* * *

The journey to the shipyard was not easy, but Margaery only had to squeeze on Robb’s hand to remind her that all they had to suffer through would be worth it. They were able to pawn off the shield they’d brought with them for a decent price at a small shop in Ironoaks. It was enough coin to get them from Gulltown to White Harbor, at least, and for that she was grateful. They would have to sell their horses once they reached the port, though they were making good time in spite of how tired they all were.

Her hair was a tangled mess, her arm bandaged and bloodied, and her lips were cracked and dry; she was certain she had never looked so disheveled and was worried someone in the city might find their current state to be suspicious. They found a lake outside of Gulltown where they both bathed and washed their clothes, hanging them by the fire to dry during the night. They had just their cloaks and each other to stay warm, and she had hide her tears when Robb offered to comb through her hair with his fingers, moved by the tender gesture.

“I love you more than anything,” she whispered into the dark once she knew he was sleeping, his breathing calm and steady, “I am so sorry I brought this all on you. I don’t know if I can ever make it up to you, but I’m going to try.”

* * *

The journey to White Harbour by ship was easier than their previous journey in some ways and more challenging in others. It was reassuring to go to bed each night without worrying about a shadowy figure appearing from the shadows to murder her beloved, and yet Margaery still found sleeping difficult. Robb seemed to be dealing with the rocking of the ship a little better than her at night, but during the day she often found him restlessly pacing the deck.

“It’s such a large world out there,” he commented to her on one occasion when he had stopped still, his eyes on the horizon, “Sometimes I can’t believe so much of my life was spent without seeing so much of it.”

“You still have time, sweetheart,” Margaery told him, “Your story is just beginning. When the heir to Winterfell returns, everything will be different.”

Robb nodded his head solemnly, and she gave a gentle sigh. She had hoped that her words would be comforting to him, but it seemed he had much on his mind.

She placed a hand on his back, her gaze falling to the ground. “I fear I have broken your heart and don’t know how to mend it,” she admitted in a murmur.

Robb turned to look her then, and she saw his brow furrowed in confusion when their eyes met. “What do you mean, Margaery?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t blame you. I know what I did was...I know I betrayed your trust,” Margaery said, “You are...good and kind and honorable and I am afraid sometimes that is the only reason you wish for us to be wed. As I said, there is still time. If there is distance between us, then...”

“Then let us cross it together,” Robb finished for her, reaching to take one of her hands in his. He brought it up to his heart, letting it rest there underneath his own hand. “See? It’s still beating,” he noted, adding softly, “I’m so sorry, Margaery.”

Margaery gave a soft smile, her eyes filling with tears. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m undeserving of your forgiveness, but I am thankful for it all the same.”

He shook his head. “We were both lost in different ways. With you I have found my purpose and my path. If you are scared that I no longer trust you, you have nothing to fear. You have proven your love over and over again in these past few weeks.”

“And I will continue to do so for the rest of our lives, I promise you,” Margaery affirmed. She felt herself let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding, her whole body seemingly to relax with Robb’s assertions. “But _something_ is still troubling you, is it not?” she asked softly before shaking her head, “I imagine many things are troubling you.”

“A few things,” Robb admitted, “Mostly I’m afraid. We’re on a journey to meet family I’ve never known, family that I didn’t know I had until quite recently. I keep playing out scenarios in my mind but...I have no idea what it will be like when we finally get there.”

She and brought her good arm up so that she could trail her fingers over his beard affectionately. “I don’t know that I can offer you anything apart from my own strength,” she told him, “I think we all are afraid of the uncertain future, but I am your constant. Even if the world were to crumble around us, I’d still be here to hold your hand through it all.”

Robb gave her a look then that she had not seen before, and he let out a shuddering breath before wrapping both of his arms around her. “I love you, Margaery,” he whispered.

“I love you with all my heart,” Margaery whispered back. She leant into their embrace, thinking she would be sleep far better on this night once the set had set. Margaery felt even more certain when Robb leant in to kiss her deeply, filling her with warmth from within. A gentle laugh escaped her as she thought back to the first time their lips had met, and how Robb had been concerned about being terrible at it.

“Gods, it’s good to see you smile,” Robb murmured, barely breaking away from her.

“You as well,” Margaery remarked, smiling even wider, “Robb, we’re going to be married in a few days time.”

“Aye, we are.” He gave a chuckle and ran a hand through her curls. “I may have some trepidations about the future, but that is certainly not one of them.”

She nodded in agreement. “I wish I had something nice to wear for our ceremony.”

“Well, perhaps once we get to White Harbor...Lord Arryn told me that Lord Manderly is a man I can trust. Though he is very good at hiding it, he is intensely loyal to my father,” Robb explained, “I believe he should be able to help us with provisions and clothing, including something for you. That said, I would gladly marry you exactly as you are now.”

“As would I marry you as you are now, but such an occasion merits something special,” Margaery noted, “It would be wonderful if the the Manderlys could help us. I believe I once learnt their family hails from the Reach, you know.”

“You have much to teach me, my sweet Margaery,” Robb said with a laugh, making her grin, “It is a good thing that we have a few more days on this ship so that you can tell me what I need to know about Westeros.”

She took his face in her hands and rested her forehead to his before pressing a kiss to his nose. “Come then, sweetheart. Let us go to our chambers. Perhaps this will be a good way to distract you from what lies ahead.”

The sleeping quarters were somewhat crowded on the ship, with only bunk beds available surrounded by other bunk beds. Margaery slept below so as not to be in danger of falling and doing further damage to her arm, and though she and Robb would sit together on her lower bunk before bed, it saddened her that there wasn’t enough room for them to lie side by side at night. They talked for a long while that evening about what Margaery knew of the North before Robb asked her to tell him all she could about the Reach as well, and she felt tears well in her eyes as she spoke of home. After Robb had climbed up to his bed, he reached a hand down in the darkness and she took it in her own.

* * *

Somehow, after an exhausting and dangerous horse ride from the Eyrie to Gulltown, a few restless weeks at sea, and with an injured arm that she could still barely move, Margaery had never felt more beautiful on her wedding day. The Manderlys had received them with more kindness and hospitality than she expected, drawing them both a bath and kindly lending them clothes and a spare room where they could recuperate. Wylla and Wynafryd were more than happy to help her ready herself before the ceremony, pinning her hair up in an intricate braid and covering her arm sling in lace so that it matched the white dress they’d let her borrow.

“You look like a Northern queen,” Wylla remarked to her, which made her give a soft laugh. It was strange to think that she was marrying into a family which had once been royal when the very reason she had gone to the Eyrie had been to secure the hand of a prince. It was equally strange to think that none of that held any importance for her anymore and she was about to do something she had never even allowed herself to dream of: marry a man she truly wanted to marry.

“Thank you,” she replied quietly tucking a wayward curl behind her ear. They were lucky to be in a city that housed a godswood and didn’t require a septon to officiate their wedding. “For everything,” she added, “I am sad that my family won’t be here to see me married, but I am glad I have made some new friends.”

“Let us do you one more favor and escort you to your betrothed,” Wynafryd offered, her smile bright, “Do you mind? If we stay for the ceremony, that is. I love weddings.”

“Oh, of course not. You are both most welcome,” Margaery affirmed. It would be good to see smiling faces at her wedding, she thought, although she was certain once she saw Robb she would forget everything else but him.

Margaery had been told the godswood in White Harbor was located inside an old, mostly abandoned castle called the Wolf’s Den. Wylla and Wynafryd led her through the passage from their grandfather’s New Castle out into the courtyard of castle the Starks had gifted to their family long ago, and upon first sight it took Margaery’s breath away. Though it was overgrown she thought it had a strange beauty to it, with roots barely contained by the ground and leaves spread out in every direction she looked. The trees had been given the freedom to grow unrestrained in this place with no interference from the outside world.

“Margaery…”

She heard her name and spun around to see her husband-to-be standing behind her, and she all but ran to him, taking his hand in hers.

“You are the most beautiful woman in the world,” Robb whispered to her. She watched his eyes dance over her, and she was filled with sheer happiness.

“And you the most handsome man,” she murmured in return, “By the gods, I love you.”

“I love you,” Robb breathed, “May I kiss you even before we’re wed?”

“You can kiss me anytime you wish,” Margaery affirmed, smiling from ear to ear as Robb gently took her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers. She found herself wishing he would never stop kissing her as she couldn’t remember ever being feeling quite this joyful in her life.

“I don’t know the traditional ceremony words exactly,” Robb admitted after they’d slowly pulled away, “But I don’t think the gods will mind. All that matters is that they hear us promising ourselves to each other.”

She nodded. “I think we can make that happen.” She gave a kind nod to Wylla and Wynafryd and then Lord Manderly who had escorted Robb to the godswood, and she took her beloved’s hand once more so they could walk towards the heart tree together.

“I will go first if you want,” Robb offered, squeezing her hand gently. He turned to face her once they were beneath the long, gnarled branches that seemed to stretch as far as the sky. He cleared his throat and she could not help but smile at the sound, finding it endearing that he wanted his words to be distinct.

“I, Robb Stark, promise myself to Margaery Tyrell with the gods and men as my witness,” he announced, his chest swelling slightly, “I promise to treasure her and keep her safe, to stay faithful and honest, and to love her for the rest of our days. My heart belongs to her.”

“I, Margaery Tyrell, promise myself to Robb Stark with the gods and men as my witness,” Margaery said in return, “I promise to always honor him and our love for each other, to remain by his side through thick and thin, and to cherish him with each and every day that goes by. My heart is his.”

Robb leant forwards, his smile unwavering and his expression relaxed. His forehead came to rest against Margaery’s and she closed her eyes as he did, saying a silent prayer to the Old Gods.

_‘Thank you for Robb. Thank you for bringing us together. Thank you for keeping us safe. I have never felt such love, and I promise to cherish it and him forever.’_

She blinked a few times and saw that his eyes were open as well, and she tilted her head up slightly to let their lips meet in a passionate kiss. He was her husband and she was his wife… She could scarcely believe that she was married. “I’m Lady Stark now,” she voiced aloud when they drew back, causing him to laugh and lean in to kiss her again.

“Lady Stark,” Robb repeated softly in between kisses, “I like the sound of that. I think my real name sounds better on you than it does on me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Margaery chided him gently, “It suits you perfectly, and it will sound just as good on our sons and daughters.”

He raised his eyebrows at her, seemingly enticed by the idea. “Sons and daughters, hmm? As in… more than one of each?”

“Mmm, yes,” she replied, practically forgetting that they were in the company of others before she lowered her voice, “Perhaps we should go back to our chambers and start working on making one of those sons or daughters.”

“Now?” Robb asked, but before Margaery answered he was shaking his head, “I think I ought to stop asking so many questions.”

Margaery giggled, pressing a quick kiss to Robb’s lips again before she turned to the Manderlys. “We will never be able to thank you enough for your hospitality, my lord,” she admitted, “We’re so grateful to have a place to be wed.”

“It is my honor, Lady Margaery,” Lord Wyman affirmed, “I am only sorry that we cannot hold a feast for you both as is tradition.”

“And I am sure your feasts are occasions to be remembered,” Robb commented, “But truthfully, my lord, after our long journey I am looking forward to spending some time just with my lady wife.”

Wyman gave a deep chuckle and nodded his head in approval. “Many blessings on the both of you,” he said, “I hope your marriage is a fruitful one. Are you sure there isn’t anything else we can’t get you?’

“You’ve done enough already,” Margaery replied. In truth she was glad that they had such a small audience and that there would be no bedding ceremony.

“Very well, off you go then,” Wyman encouraged, “I remember my wedding night like it was yesterday. It was a grand affair indeed.”

Robb let out a laugh, but Margaery couldn’t help but notice that his eyes never left her as they made their way back towards the New Castle. She felt heat rise in her cheeks and all the more so when she thought about her and Robb’s plans for the rest of the evening. In the back of her mind, she knew how important it was that she and Robb have heirs as soon as possible, but stronger than that knowledge was her desire to be as intimate as she could be with her husband. It surprised her, but then again the feelings Robb stirred in her had surprised her from the beginning.

In the privacy of their room, she and Robb could do whatever they wanted, and she knew they both planned on taking full advantage of that fact. She was happy to take things slow at first, reminded of her husband’s caring nature when he tenderly undressed her and placed the gentlest of kisses over her bandages. The time they had spent alone together in his chambers in the Eyrie proved to lend them both some confidence; she knew how much he loved it when she trailed her fingers just below his navel and he knew how much she loved his teeth teasing her neck.

She situated herself in his lap once there was no clothing separating them, feeling Robb’s hands move down her back as their kisses grew more and more heated. She told him when she felt ready and was thankful when he let her set the pace, comfortingly caressing her skin as she slowly took him inside her. It felt unusual at first, unlike anything she had ever experienced, but far from painful as she had always been told it would be. Robb initially seemed concerned for her, but she reassured him as they began to move together, finding a rhythm that felt good for the both of them.

She was certain that there could be no better feeling when she and Robb came undone at the same time and collapsed in a tangled mess of limbs, their hearts beating rapidly. She gave a breathy laugh and hugged her husband close, and they stayed silent for a few moments longer. They would not know if they had made a baby for at least another moon, but even if they did not she was more than willing to keep trying. Her eyelids were heavy with sleep when she met his loving gaze once more, and she leant in to kiss him goodnight before they both gave in to sleep.

* * *

The journey to Winterfell from White Harbor by land was in practice a long one, but it felt shorter to Margaery than the time she had spent with Robb on the ship. They had left the New Castle with many gifts from the Manderlys including a pair of horses and purses full of coin, which Robb assured them he would pay back double as soon as he was able. Lord Wyman had insisted such measures were not necessary, and Margaery had suggested instead that they make sure to tell Lord Eddard Stark of the Manderlys’ generosity.

“I often think I still have much to learn from you, my sweet wife,” Robb remarked on an unusually bright day well into their journey, where the sun was peeking out from clouds above them. They were words he had spoken many times before, and yet Margaery never failed to blush and smile at how her new husband seemed to value her advice. Their marriage left her feeling as though she had been granted a chance to live her life anew, and with each day that passed she felt herself growing stronger.

“It is only fair that I offer you any wisdom I might have, for you have taught me how to be brave and how to love,” she said, reaching over to take his hand. He looked far more certain atop his horse than he had pacing the deck of the ship despite the fact that they were so close to reaching the family he had never known.

He squeezed on her hand. “I’m not sure I know how to thank you, Margaery… For the sacrifices you’ve made,” he admitted quietly, “Don’t think I don’t recognize how much you’ve had to give up to be here with me today.”

She shook her head slightly. “I would have had to sacrifice so much more had I married someone I didn’t love. What you have given me is freedom - the freedom to live my life without regrets and reservations.”

“All I want is for your happiness, sweetheart,” Robb admitted, his smile warm, “I don’t know what the future holds for us, but that much I can assure you.”

Signs of what the future held for the both of them had already started showing themselves to Margaery as they grew closer and closer to Winterfell. With the coin they had been given they had been able to stay at inns and taverns along the way, where they had loved each other each and every night before falling asleep in each other’s arms. In those quiet moments and particularly in the early morning, Margaery had found herself feeling mildly nauseous or dizzy, and her mind had began to contemplate the possibilities.

She was convinced she was with child when they were on the road for a month’s time and she did not get her moonblood. She did not wish to detract from Robb experiencing Winterfell for the first time, but she thought that a bit of certainty might help ease his mind.

“I know one thing you can look forward to,” she told him softly, “You are going to be a father, my love.”

Robb pulled on his horse’s reins, bringing the dark stallion he was riding to a sudden halt. When Margaery saw the smile that had spread across his face, she couldn’t help but give a delighted laugh. “What was that now?” Robb asked, and Margaery laughed again as she brought her own horse to a stop as well.

“It’s true,” she assured him, “There is a Stark growing within me, and they will be born in Winterfell where they belong.”

“Margaery…” he breathed, and she watched tears form in his eyes, “You cannot tell me such wonderful news while I can’t take you in my arms and kiss you.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” she murmured, his reaction bringing forth emotions that she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt before. She hopped down from her horse and then offered her good hand to him. “Come here, then. Let’s celebrate.”

Once Robb’s feet were also on the ground she was swept up in an embrace, her arms wrapped around her husband’s neck as they shared a deep kiss. Margaery had imagined that he would take the news well but she could not have anticipated a response that made her feel quite so breathlessly delighted.

“Thank you,” Robb whispered, barely pulling away from her, “Gods, Margaery, you bring me so much joy. As eager as I am to meet my family in Winterfell, I know I already have a family with you.”

Margaery looked up at her beloved through her lashes, her heart swelling with adoration. “I am so glad to hear it,” she told him, “We have already begun to create a beautiful life for ourselves, and gods damn anyone who thinks they can take that away from us. I feel a new era is upon us, my love.”

“I think you’re right. The king thought that he could quash every last trace of rebellion from these lands, but _you_ stopped him,” Robb said in return, “Our family will be the proof that he cannot simply bend all of Westeros to his command.”

“Our family is proof that hope is still alive,” Margaery agreed, pressing another quick kiss to his lips.

“Let us send out a raven once we reach Winterfell,” Robb suggested, “We will tell King Rhaegar that we are alive and well. And we will tell him that winter is coming for him.”


End file.
